Top 5 Steps to Getting a Great Novel Editor

So you have finally finished your book and so are looking for a novel editor or proofreader. Great! This means that you want to publish your manuscript. And I assume that you’re wise enough to understand that getting your manuscript edited professionally is critical. However, I’ll be the first to tell you that finding a great, skilled editor that will treat your manuscript with care is a challenging task. So I have created 5 steps to help you get started.

1) Should I get copy editing or proofreading?
Why not both? Some editors cost less for ‘proofreading only’ as opposed to content editing. The particular distinction is that proofreaders fix mistakes only, while copy editors make many more substantial modifications. I know that you think your book is perfect and also you don’t want anybody to mess it up, but trust me…a book (especially one just completed, and doubly a first novel) needs a whole lot of tender loving and care. A fantastic editor will look for plot inconsistencies, poorly written dialog, lack of character motivation, chapters that don’t move the plot forward, unusual word choice and more. Spending money on an editor who knows what they are doing is similar to getting a private writing tutor. You will get back a much stronger manuscript.

2) Costs. How much should you pay for proofreading as well as editing?
Costs can vary considerably. It is based on length of the project, experience of the editor and also quality of the editing. Do not expect a cheap cost and never look for a ‘deal’. Along with that being said, a lots of proofreaders overcharge. Shop for the best, most qualified editor you can find who has handled similar projects before, and find out if they fit in your ‘budget’. Editing a novel could be between $500 to $1500, but it’s an investment.

3) Pick an editor that has a background in literature
Most professional editors never studied English or even editing. Find out what their experience and credentials are. They could be outstanding at fixing mistakes, formatting, or grooming the writing – however can they identify ‘poor’ writing and improve it? Is he / she themselves good writers?

4) Choose a native speaker, from the market you want your book to be successful. Proof of address isn’t any guarantee of a native speaker. There are plenty of people that are excellent at English, but not all English is the same. Several countries speak blends of English that’s not the same as the US/Canadian English, which is also different from UK English. Generally, US English is international English.

5) Where should you locate an editor?
First of all, search ‘novel editing/edit my novel’ in Google and see what comes up. Remember that the sites on the first page of Google are usually more established (have been around longer) and more expensive, but there are plenty of small companies with less advertising budget if you look past the first page results. I, personally had great experiences with smaller companies. Some of the companies are publishing companies as well that will also proofread and edit your book. This is the route I highly recommend.

Don’t rush when finding a good novel editor. You’ll be more successful if you take your time and do research. Visit http://firsttimeauthors.org to learn of a great publishing company that also provides excellent editing services and to also receive tips and a FREE valuable e-book on book writing.